The End is Only the Beginning

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. See our full Terms of Use here.

When you’re writing your novel, story, or screenplay, the end of your story may seem like an eternity away. It might even seem like the easiest part of the process to ignore, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your ending doesn’t have to be epic or grandiose; it just needs to wrap up your plot and characters in such a way that readers feel fulfilled by their time spent with your story world and characters, as well as eager to get back into that world through future books/stories in your series.

If you truly want to show off your skills, you need to craft a great ending, one that ties up any loose ends and brings closure to the story. This can be difficult if you haven’t planned and left yourself room to add an ending chapter or epilogue. Here are some tips on how to write a satisfying ending that will leave your readers wanting more… and maybe even clamoring for another book from you!

Planning For an End

It’s important to know how you want your story to end before you write. This will give you a goal to work towards and help keep you from getting stuck along the way. Once you have an ending in mind, start planning for it by planting clues and foreshadowing throughout your story. This will make the ending feel earned and satisfying for both you and your readers. Finally, don’t be afraid to change your plans as you go. Sometimes the best endings are the ones we didn’t see coming.

With this in mind, when you’re halfway through your story, try to step back and ask yourself if there’s another way it could turn out that would be more interesting or surprising. If so, take a stab at rewriting the final few chapters with this new information. And always remember – not every story needs to end happily ever after!

It can be hard knowing when enough is enough though, which is why it helps to spend some time thinking about what kind of ending you want so that you’ll know when you’ve found it!

Knowing When Your Story is Over

It’s difficult to know when your story is truly over. You may have reached the end of your plot, but there are still loose ends that need to be tied up. Or you may feel you could keep going, but you’re not sure if you have anything else to say.

Here are a few tips for knowing when your story is over:

• 1) The character arc is complete (e.g., they’ve learned their lesson and changed).
• 2) The external conflict has been resolved.
• 3) There’s an important event in the character’s life (e.g., death, birth, marriage), and it feels right to end it there.
• 4) If something happened which means that life will never be the same – sometimes called a crisis point – and it feels right to leave things where they are now.

When you realize your story is done, be proud of yourself! Finishing a book or blog post requires commitment and hard work. Now is the time to go back through and make sure everything lines up with your original vision. Make any necessary changes to make it clear what needs to happen next, or what you want readers to take away from the story. And finally, write that last sentence! Be brave and bold as you craft an ending that feels fitting for your characters. Good luck with bringing it home!

There’s More Than One Way to Finish

It’s helpful to consider all the ways your story could end before you decide on the perfect one. What would be the most satisfying for your readers? The most unexpected? The one that ties up all the loose ends? Once you’ve considered all of your options, you can choose the ending that feels right for your story.

If you are writing a romance novel, maybe an unlikely couple gets together in the end, and they live happily ever after. Or maybe there’s only love between two people, but it’s not romantic love and they stay friends forever. Here, it might be better to have them live their separate lives with fond memories of each other rather than get together at the last minute.

Either way, make sure that your readers are the focus. What would be the most satisfying for your readers? Once you’ve considered all of your options, you can choose the ending that feels right for your story.

Showing, Not Telling

Sometimes ‘Happily Ever After’ is just not informative enough. If you’ve crafted engaging characters, your readers may feel that there is something missing from the story. Giving closure is important, even in an ongoing series. Closure, though, doesn’t have to mean a finite conclusion to the overall story arc. Sometimes it simply means the reader has been given satisfaction.

The best way to end your story is to show, not tell. By this, we mean you should avoid simply summarizing what happened in the story. Instead, try to include a scene that shows the overall theme or moral of the story. This will leave readers with a lasting impression and will make them more likely to remember your story. It also allows you to weave any other important messages about life into the ending.

An example might be Alice (character) realizes something destined her for greatness, but she doesn’t know how or when her great destiny will be fulfilled. Her dad tells her it’ll come eventually, because it always does. Here, her dad can represent all fathers who encourage their children to believe in themselves and keep trying until they find their success.

Thin Windows: A Narrative Collection

View Book

This kind of ending leaves readers feeling satisfied as they walk away from the book, knowing that their struggles were worth it in the end! A satisfying ending could look like this:

Alice looked up at her father. His words rang true. He was right-the hard work was worth it. She would conquer heights never reached by anyone else. And she could - no, she would - keep climbing.

Epilogue or Sequel?

You’ve spent hours, days, weeks, months, maybe even years writing your story. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it, and now it’s time to bring it to a close. But how? Do you go for the classic epilogue, or do you opt for a sequel?

Here are some things to consider when making your decision:

• 1) Is there anything else left unsaid that needs to be addressed?
• 2) Is there any loose ends that need tying up?
• 3) Will you be able to return to this world later if needed (perhaps in another novel)?
• 4) If you do not intend to continue this series in the future, an epilogue might work best as a satisfying ending.
• 5) If you plan on continuing this series with future books, a sequel might be more appropriate as it will allow readers to revisit their favorite characters and continue their journey with them.
• 6) Remember that whatever option you choose should leave readers feeling satisfied with what they have read; while they may wish for more of your work, they should not feel dissatisfied by what they read.

It can be difficult deciding which path to take. Some people lean towards an epilogue because it leaves something unresolved and open-ended, but then others say that a sequel leaves the reader yearning for more closure. In the end, there is no right answer.

It comes down to what you think would satisfy your readers most based on where you want your story to go from here. It doesn’t matter whether you choose one path over another. Just give yourself enough space between installments so that fans can keep coming back!

One Part of a Series? Remind the Readers

If your story is part of a series, it’s important to remind readers that this is just one part of the story. By doing so, you can leave them wanting more and looking forward to the next installment.

Here are some tips for how to do just that:

• 1) Create anticipation by ending on a cliffhanger or suspenseful moment.
• 2) End with an unanswered question or thought-provoking situation.
• 3) Let readers know that there will be another book in the series (i.e., Stay tuned for Book Two).
• 4) Mention what they can expect in the next book in the series
• 5) Provide hints about what to expect in the next book.
• 6) Leave a teaser at the end of the current chapter
• 7) Introduce something new at the end of each chapter to keep readers interested.
• 8) Keep the reader guessing until the very end.
• 9) Hide information and surprises until near the climax of your story.
• 10) If your character has questions, use these as hooks to continue on to the next book.
• 11) Avoid leaving your readers feeling confused or disoriented. Make sure you clearly understand where to go from here.
• 12) Do not give away all the plot twists beforehand.

While it’s unnecessary to show every detail that you intend to address in your story, it’s helpful for readers if you give them an overview of what they can expect. This will ensure that they are invested in your story and looking forward to reading more.

Trust Your Instincts

Follow your gut—if something feels off, it probably is. The same goes for your story. If you’re not sure how to end it, trust your instincts. Chances are, you already know the answer. You just need to get there in the right way. One way is by giving readers a hint about what’s going on and bringing it all together at the end of your story.

It might tempt you to go for an overly dramatic ending or one that’s too tidy but can feel unsatisfying if you haven’t laid enough groundwork beforehand. Consider what might happen after this scene has concluded-is there any unfinished business? Will these characters have an epiphany or change their minds? Keep in mind that they may not immediately have an epiphany or make changes. Sometimes they need time to process everything before they make their final decision (or the author needs more time!).

If your protagonist doesn’t ultimately get what he or she wants, then maybe it’s because life doesn’t always work out as we want it to. But don’t worry! There are other ways to write satisfying endings without giving away the big reveal. One is by revealing some part of the protagonist’s backstory earlier in the story, which ends up being integral to why he/she does what he/she does at the end. Another way is by explaining why things happened or didn’t happen during the story. Readers crave closure, so tying up loose ends can also satisfy them.

A Satisfying Ending is Within Reach

No matter how you choose to end your story, know that a satisfying finale is within reach. Lean into the research and story crafting that brought you this far. Embrace what has made your work unique. Use your words for the good of your reader’s heart (and their sanity). Make sure your ending does not undo all the hard work you have done in getting here. There are many ways to wrap up a story satisfactorily. It just takes some time and creativity on your part!

-R.E.